 Good evening, friends. Could be another thank you. This is your host. Inviting you in through the creaking door. Come in, come in, won't you? We're having a bit of a demonstration here tonight. Presto, the magician, is sewing a corpse in half. And for next to the tea, he'll saw the halves in half. But we'll have to take up a collection of quarters. Don't worry. He won't go out in the limb. Not your limb. He's strictly a torso man, only more so. And if you ever wanted to decapitate anybody, remember, he gets five dollars a head. Tonight's Inner Sanctum Mystery over my dead body is an original radio drama written by Robert Sloan and stars Larry Haynes in the role of Robert with Vera Allen as Mary. Ready now, friends. You've heard of dead men who turn over in their graves, haven't you? Well, tonight's story is about a grave that turns over on a dead man. The casket was ordered from the local undertaking establishment. It was delivered to a private mausoleum on the estate of old Mr. Edgar Finley. But when it arrived, his housekeeper couldn't understand why the eccentric old gentleman had purchased it. Mr. Finley, did you order a casket? Yes, ma'am. I ordered it. I told him to put it downstairs. It's the crypt of the mausoleum. What captain you want with a casket? Who is it for? For what? I don't know, Mary. I'm not nearly as eccentric as most people seem to think. I need that casket. Why? Because I'm going to die tonight. Mr. Finley, what are you saying? I'll call the doctor. No, no. You don't understand. There's nothing wrong with me, Mary. I just want to be sure my money falls into the right hands when I die. Don't talk about dying, Mr. Finley. I've got to consider it, Mary. I've got to make sure the bulk of my estate will go to the most deserving person. I'm going to make believe I'm dead. That way I can find out a great deal more about my prospective aid. You mean you're going to get into that casket and be closed up in the mausoleum? Oh, I won't be closed up for long. Just strong enough to make it look real. Then I'll ring the bell for you to let me out. But... Then I'll be so frightened, Mary. This one. There's a wire running from this room to the mausoleum. Oh, Mr. Finley. I'll connect it up with the casket before you close me in. And whenever I need you, I'll just ring the bell. No, no. I won't let you do it. Mary, you'll do as I say. Now, stop being such a sentimental old fool and get yourself offensive in a piece of paper. I want you to take down the addresses of my niece, Eleanor, and my cousin, Robert. You'll have to send them telegrams in the morning. Telegrams? Notifying them of my death. Can you understand, Mary? Mr. Edgis Finley has just passed down. This way, Mr. Robert. The casket is down here in the crypt. Oh, thank you. Careful in these stairs, Eleanor. It's not very light. I can see. Cornel, I wish you hadn't brought me down here. I don't want to look at Uncle Edgis' casket. I do. I think it's only decent for us to pay our respects. When was he led to rest, Mary? It's morning. It all happened very suddenly, didn't it? I mean, nobody ever knew he was sick. Well, what did he die of? His heart, Mr. Robert. It gave out on him. When? Good heavens, must you ask me all these questions? I've got a right to know what happened. Eleanor has to look. But I told you, he died during the night. Without any warning? The doctor said, with the sight? Yes. Well, Tim's awfully strange. He never complained about his heart before. Well, that's exactly what I was thinking. Um, has an autopsy performed on the body? No. I see. Where's the casket? Right here, Mr. Robert. Well, don't stand there. Aren't you going to open the lid? No. What for? I want to see him. Why do you think I came down here? You can't open the casket. You can raise the lid. Don't be a fool. I'm going to make sure he's really down here. Don't you believe me? No. Raise the lid. Mr. Robert. Raise it, I said. All right. I'm not lying to you, Mr. Robert. You can look inside now. Thank you. Is he there? Yes. I guess Mary was telling the truth. I'm sorry. That's all right. You can lower the lid now. Yes, sir. Madam Robert. Hmm? Oh, so nothing. Nothing. I am. I was just thinking how strange you looked. It was just the way you looked. It's a lie. Sister Mary, I hear you ringing. I'll come to you right now. I'm not sure. Mary. Good evening, Mr. Robert. I want to talk to you, Mary. I'll be back in a minute. I want to talk to you now. What? I'm a citizen, Robert. Are you excited? I know I've got it. About what? The trick. I just suddenly isn't dead. Why is he lying in that casket? I don't know what you're talking about. Don't lie to me. I can see him bleeding underneath a glass. Why are you making believe he's dead? I'm not. I'll talk to you later, Mr. Robert. There you are. No, I've got to go to him. He'll suffocate in there if I die. I said, stay where you are. Please, didn't you hear that bell? He's ringing for me. What do you mean? I said he's locked me outside. He'll die if I don't let him out. Wouldn't that be just too bad? Mr. Robert, you wouldn't let him die. Wouldn't I? As far as I know, he's dead already. If he isn't dead, I'm telling you he isn't dead. I can't hear you. Let me go. He'll be dead in July. What if he is? When he really dies, I stand at very good chance of him hurting so much. No, I won't let you kill him. Oh, I'm not killing him. You are, Mary. You're the only one who knew about the arrangement with the bell. And if you open your mouth about it, the police will arrest you for murder. Mr. Robert, please. Don't let him die. Don't. Please, please, Mary. Oh, it lasts very long. Oh. You let him suffocate in there without lifting a finger in her hand. Stop it, will you? You won't get away with him. Oh, right. Who's going to stop me? Your mind will stop you in your conscience. You'll hear that bell ringing in your mind as long as you... Shut up. You'll hear it, Robert. Day and night. Think about him and that casket torch isn't casting for his last breath. He'll never be able to... Who's that bell? He's still alive. No. No, no, no. He can't be. I locked the casket with my own hands. There isn't enough air in there to breathe. The same bell. It's a telephone. Let's see how it torches you, Robert. Let's see how it prays on your mind. Don't talk about it. That's that phone. Yes, sir. Yes, Mr. Cadman. I'd like... Can I speak to you later, Mr. Cadman? Huh? Thank you, sir. What does Cadman want? Something about the will. He wants to speak to me. Why didn't you find out what it was? I didn't think he'd let me talk. I'm nervous about that bell. What's the matter? Listen. Can't you hear it? What? The bell. It's ringing again. I don't hear anything. It's him ringing the bell. He's still alive. No, you're just trying to frighten me. Get there, I tell you. I can hear it. Come on. Listen, Robert. In the library. He was just outside. He was like a ghost. Don't be scared, Miss Eleanor. It was probably the guard. No, it wasn't. It wasn't. It was... I'm going to... No one will find out. We've come to the bottom. I don't know why we did come, Mr. Robert. I don't need your conscience. I need to see his body. Don't argue with me. I've got to know. I've got to find out if he's still in the casket. All right, now, quick. I know I shouldn't open the lid. Open it yourself. You, children. There are more of you not to annoy me anymore. My nerves won't stand. What's the matter, Mr. Robert? Do you still hear that bell? Open the casket. All right. I'll open it. You want to raise the lid, though? So loud. Never mind. I'll do it. It's there all right. Only this time he's dead. This time his tortured body is tightened up and twisting from gasping for air. Robert, stop it. What's wrong, Mr. Robert? Are you afraid to see what you've done? I'm going for it. Look, Mr. Robert, look. It's rolled over. And it's gone. The bell's out of my mind. They're driving me crazy. Why don't they stop? Why can't I make them? Oh, no. Please, please, stop. Oh, thank you. My belly's swinging from this grave. I've got to stop them. I've got to cut the wire. Mary! Mary, where are you? You're ringing that bell. What bell? I can't hear anything ringing. It's your mind, Mr. Robert. What was me telling you that? Don't lie to me. I've been ringing it all the time. Harding me with it. I don't know what you're talking about. Where's the wire? Where is it? Where's the bell? Right over here. Give it to me. Mr. Robert. Give it to me, I said. I'll fix it so it won't ring again. There. There. It's connected now. It won't ever ring. No, I can't see it. It's another bell. There's only one, Mr. Robert. You're doing it. You're doing it. It's a trick. You're doing it with your foot. You want me to lose my mind? I can't. Let me go. Look. See? It isn't ringing anymore. Let me go. I've worked for nothing. Fortunately, Mary, I told you my nerve wouldn't stand. Harding over the body of dear Mary, the bell is still ringing. Quickly he drags the body behind the sofa in the living room. And as the bell stops, he hears a door open behind him. Footsteps in the hall. Who's there? Who's out there? What? Mr. Cadman. Nobody out to the front door. Oh, were you ringing the bell? I've been ringing it for some time. That's why I took the liberty of letting myself in. Where's Mary? Mary? Yes. Why are you looking at me like that? For heaven's sake, what's going on here tonight? Why? Well, I called Mary earlier in the evening about Mr. Finley's will. She said she'd call me back, but she never did. Why? I don't know why not. Well, neither do I. I've been calling her all evening, but nobody answers the call. That's what the bells were. What? Nothing, nothing. Well, Robert, I've got to speak to Mary about some very important business. Where is she? Why, I don't know. Well, you'd better find out if you... Well, look, what do you want, Mr. Cadman? Make it short. Mary's gone into town, and I'm busy. Too busy to find out about your inheritance. Why, uh, no. I thought that might interest you. The will is supposed to be read tomorrow morning, but it won't be read unless I speak to Mary. It won't even be opened. For what am I, you can't hold up that will. You can't stop us from getting what belongs to us. I can't. But Mr. Finley can. Mr. Finley? Yes. He made a last request before he died. What? That the will is not to be read. There you go. To settle. Mary's wrong. I'm looking through some papers. Mary's gone away for a few days, and Mr. Cadman said the will couldn't be read unless she opened it. She must have it here. The will? Uncle Ed gives way. Yes, yes. Well, don't stand there staring at me. We've got to find that will. But Mary hasn't got it. How do you know? Where is it? Well, Mr. Cadman must have it. He was Uncle Ed's attorney. Well, then why did Mary have... Well, it's ringing again. Maybe it's Mary. Maybe she's come back. No, no, no, no, no. It's from across the hall from Mr. Finley's room. I don't understand why a bell should ring in there. I've got to find it. Wait. Why does it stop? I don't care. I've got to know why it rang. Please don't go in there. Why not? Because he wouldn't want you to disturb his words. Don't be a fool. Someone's working against us. Someone who doesn't want us to inherit that money. Well, Mr. Cadman, maybe. He'll be just like him. Here it is again. It's over here, Doc. It's right beside the bell. What? It's the bell that was downstairs. The one I hacked the wires from. It's been connected again. Who could have connected it? I don't know. I'm going to have a talk with Mr. Cadman. Wait for me. I'm going to find out about that world. I'm sorry, Robert. I'm not at liberty to show you the world. No one can see it without Mary's permission. Get up. What? Get up, I said. Open the safe. Put down that gun, you fool. Do what I tell you. Open the safe. No, I can look. I mean every word I say. All right, Robert. I'll open the safe. You quick about it. Sir, do me. Why? Are you in such a hurry? Because I don't trust you. I think you know too much. About you? About old man Finley. I think you were in on a plan from the very beginning with Mary. My dear, what you're talking about. Come on. Come on. Isn't that safe open yet? It will be in a moment. What do you want? What do you think? Well, give it to me. Robert, you're making a great mistake. I'll be the judge of that. Disregarding Mr. Finley. Give me the bell. I warn you, I'm going to report this to the police. Oh, no, you're not. You're not going to report it to anybody. I'm getting back. Did you speak to Mr. Cadman? Uh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I spoke to him. He's, uh, going to raid the well in the morning. Wouldn't he let you see it? Uh, no. Uh, what are you doing out here, Alma? Waiting for you to get back. I've been going over the outside of the house, facing those wires. What wires? The ones from that bell upstairs. They lead to the Marcellium. Right in through the stone wall. Really? Don't you think that's strange? I mean, why should wires run from the Marcellium directly into the house? I don't know. Your, uh, your Uncle Edgar was a pretty eccentric guy. What a bell, Robert. Why would anybody want to set up a bell in the house so that it could be run from the Marcellium? Well, look, let's mind our own business. It is our business. There's something funny going on, and I'd like to know what is here. Well, we'll figure it out in the morning. No, it's got to be done now, before we go back into the house. Why? What's your hurry? Mary hasn't gone, Robert. I don't know where she is, but she hasn't really gone. How do you know? Her clothes and everything. They're all in the room. She hasn't even taken a bath. What? That doesn't mean anything? It goes to me. I think something's happened to her. Robert, I think we ought to call the police. Now, don't be silly. I think we ought to have them investigate those wires. What for? Just to be on the safe side. Is there any reason why we shouldn't call the police? Well, well, no. Well then, let's go inside. No, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Now, look, we don't have to call anybody. We can investigate those wires ourselves. Just the two of us? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure, why not? Well, uh... No, come on. Come on. You just show me where those wires are. No, uh... I don't want to go back there. What are you afraid of? Nothing's gonna happen. Oh, my God. No, come on. You'll just take a few minutes to check on those wires at the Marceline, and then we can come back and call the police. No! I'm not gonna let you have your way, Eleanor. I want to see about those wires. And I... I wouldn't think of leaving you all alone in that big house. I don't want to hurt you here, but you're gonna come with me. Are you ready? Yes, I'm ready. Are you making me go down into the crypt? The wires, Eleanor. They led down here. We've got to find out where they're attached on the inside. Wait! What's the matter? I thought I saw something passing in front of me. Keep walking. Don't worry. What do you mean? Don't you know? Don't you realize you'll have to die? Let me go! I can't afford to let you live, Eleanor. You'll find out too much. You'll put a rope around my neck. Come on, please. Don't fight me, Eleanor. It has to be just the way it was with Marion Cadman. You killed him. He didn't want me to get the money. They were in my way. I was in your way too, Robert. Who's that? Me, Robert. Your cousin. Edgar Finley. No, no, no, no. You're dead. I would have been. I hadn't protected myself against a murderer like you. Once after that casket comes off, Robert, it opens from the inside. You would just late believe you were dead. I had to. As soon as I found out what you were trying to do, all I never expected you to murder anyone else. Run for the police, Eleanor. Wait. Come back here. Run, run. Stop. Stop or I'll come after you. Don't do anything of the kind, Robert. You'll stay with me. Will I? Since you know I had a gun, Mr. Finley, you won't get out of here, Robert. I won't let you out. Come on, Mr. Finley. Come on. Get the rest of it. Get away out. I must have gotten out of... What is it, officer? Oh. I do not look. Are they dead? Yeah. Robert killed him. I can't understand how. Good Lord. Mr. Finley killed him too. What? His hands. They're stiffened around Robert's neck. He died that way. Choking him. He saved my life. Guess he realized it all right. There's a smile on his lips.